Local business aids fly anglers

BRUCE SCHNECK/SPECIAL PHOTO
Prominently displayed with this assortment of dry flies and reels is the slogan used by the Pine Grove-based CROFlies.com of "Catch, Release, Repeat."

PINE GROVE - For years, fly fishermen have matched the same hatches in the same order to enjoy their sport.

In the spring they move on to the early grays such as Quill Gordons, Hendricksons and blue quills before wrapping up the fly seasons with white flies and slate drakes and pale evening duns during the late summer and early fall. Year after year they work the same order of flies with the only variation being a few weeks difference in their emergence due to weather conditions.

A few of the flies seen hatching can tell a lot about the waters being fished, and by late June and early July, hatches of little yellow stoneflies, known as yellow sallies, and green stoneflies indicate the stream they are hatching from is in excellent condition. Both of these flies demand high quality water, but streams showing mostly caddis and a few sulfurs are an indicator of the other end of the spectrum.

Tent-shaped caddis can tolerate pretty rough conditions and sulfurs are usually the first May fly to re-establish a stream on road to recovery or the last May fly available to streams going in the dumpster. This year there is an unusual hatch of brood No. II of those noisy bugs Periodical Cicada.

Often mistakenly referred to as locusts, these big, 1.5-inch insects hatch every 17 years. Even a fair imitation of this insect can bring some excellent fishing during the month-long feeding frenzy they induce throughout May.

Knowing which fly to use and when to use it can be challenging for the casual angler, but a new company based in Pine Grove that has joined the fly-fishing ranks can help with those decisions. Operating as a Web-based company, CROFlies.com was founded in memory of Caleb Randolph Ott by his brothers Josh and Luke Ott, who are licensed Pennsylvania fishing guides and provide trips in Berks, Centre, Lehigh and Schuylkill counties.

CROFlies.com offers an assortment of well-tied flies, an assortment of other fly-fishing gear and features some really cool T-shirts. Recently, the company has formed a partnership with Natural Pursuit Outdoors, which is operated by outdoors writer Tyler Frantz of Pine Grove.

Josh and Luke Ott are self-described "fly-fishing junkies" who are dedicated to educating and training people to catch and release fish while protecting our waters. Their enthusiasm is contagious, especially with younger anglers, which was evident earlier this year when they held a special event dubbed "Tie One On Day" at Woods Creek Grill in Jonestown that featured experienced fly tiers demonstrating their methods and providing a learning experience for both veteran and novice fly fishermen.

During the day-long event many ideas were exchanged and questions were answered. Most of all, the CROFlies motto of "Catch, Release, Repeat" was the main message.

With many of the small fly shops that featured localized information disappearing, CROFlies.com helps fill that void.

For information on CROFlies.com access the webpage at http://www.croflies.blogspot.com/ or visit on Facebook.

Area hatch guide

Using Pottsville as a core stream in a 50-mile radius, here is a hatch and fly-size guide for the rest of the summer:

Little Blue Dun, throughout May, 20/24; March Brown and Gray Fox, through early July 10/14; Sulphurs, through mid-June, 18/20; Dark Green Drake, through early June, 6/10; Blue Winged Olive, through early July 14/18; Slate Drake, through June and mid-September to mid-October, 10/14; Light Cahill, through mid-June 14/16; Pink Cahill, through June, 12/16; Trico, July to October, 22/26; Evening Dun, August and September, 16/18; Large Slate Drake, August, 6/10; White Fly, mid-August to mid-September, 12/16; Cicada, through May, 4/10; Terrestrials, June through September, assorted.

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